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Chickpea and Vegetable Salad

I work across the street from an Au Bon Pain. Because it’s so convenient I wind up grabbing lunch there a lot. A few years ago when they introduced their “portions menu” they sold this great salad with chickpeas and veggies. I was heartbroken to recently discover they don’t sell it anymore.

This salad luckily was easy to replicate, and I’ve been making it since well before ABP pulled it from their shelves. I sometimes will eat it alone as an entrée or as a side dish with a sandwich or soup. It’s light and healthy, and is quick to make.

Chickpea and Vegetable Salad – 1 Knife

Ingredients:

1 15 oz. can chickpeas

½ cucumber

1 large tomato (or 2 smaller-medium tomatoes)

2 carrots

¼ red onion

3 tablespoons lemon juice (about 1 lemon)

3 tablespoons olive oil

1/8 teaspoon mustard powder (optional)

¼ teaspoon salt (or to taste)

1/8 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper (or to taste)

Prep:

Wash and dice the cucumber into ½ inch cubes.

Wash the tomato, cut open and remove the seeds, and dice.

Peel the skin from the carrots and shred them.

Remove skin from the onion and dice.

In a small bowl combine the lemon juice, olive oil, mustard powder, salt, and pepper. Stir with a fork to combine.

Cook:

Drain the chickpeas and rinse off the liquid from the can. Add to a large bowl.

In the large bowl add to the chickpeas the cucumber, carrots, tomato, onions and dressing.

Stir well to mix.

Let sit in the refrigerator for an hour so that the flavors can blend.

About I Can Boil Water

After hearing a friend grumble that he can't cook, I've taken up the challenge of proving to the culinary-challenged that cooking is easier then it looks. Food is never intimidating, it is your friend.